Genesis AI is Starkey’s most advanced hearing technology yet, re-engineered from the inside out. The five-year journey to the recent launch began in 2017 when Achin Bhowmik joined Starkey as Chief Technology Officer. The former Intel Corporation executive and Starkey’s President and CEO, Brandon Sawalich, kept the project under wraps, secretly developing and testing the new technology for years. Genesis AI is not just a hearing aid. It’s a multifunctional health and communication device utilizing advanced AI technology that exceeds biological sensory processing capabilities.
The new Neuro Processor emulates the function of the central auditory system by allowing for non-linear fine tuning of the input signal. Smaller than all previous processors, the new revolutionary technology is packed with unprecedented power (4X the speed and 6X more transistors than previous processors). It is also the industry’s first chip with a unique onboard Deep Neural Network (DNN) accelerator engine that mimics the cerebral cortex of the human brain. This advanced processing component takes in data and utilizes complex pattern recognition with advanced machine learning technology to adapt to more listening situations than ever before.
The new Neuro Sound Technology provides the best hearing experience in all situations. The additive compression system synthesizes the signals from slow and fast compression systems for optimized perceptual outcomes, like the neural fibers that code different information for the brain. This enables wearers to hear soft sounds without noise, distinguish speech more intuitively, and significantly reduces listening effort. Additionally, Genesis AI instantaneously conducts an AI-based analysis of the acoustic environment, making 80 million automatic adjustments every hour – that’s over 22,000 adjustments every second! This unprecedented speed ensures wearers seamlessly transition between listening environments without lifting a finger.
With a simple double tap, Edge Mode+ leverages the hearing aids built-in DNN to scan the environment and optimize sound for speech clarity. It will instantaneously improve speech understanding and decrease listening effort in any challenging listening environment, such as a noisy restaurant.
Other unique features include direct streaming of calls and music (like Bluetooth headphones), an integrated personal assistant that answers any questions, reminds the wearer of medication alerts and other tasks, transcribes speech, and even has in-ear, real-time language translation of more than 70 languages.
With Genesis, the designers pushed AI to its limits, enhancing personal health monitoring and engagement to levels unlike anything else in the industry. Starkey was the first to integrate 3D sensors; the first to enable counting steps; the first to track and encourage social engagement; and the first to provide benefits within hearing aids that went beyond just better hearing. With Genesis AI, the designers now offer the most classifications within the activity tracker system with the addition of indoor biking, walking, running and aerobics. Starkey was also the first manufacturer — and still the only — to make hearing aids that can detect falls and send alerts to emergency contacts, which has been proven to save lives.
Although Genesis AI just launched earlier this year, the research team fit over 500 subjects through rigorous clinical trials, delivering the most validated product family in Starkey’s history (with over 11,000 hours of in-field wearing time prior to launch)! And the results. Genesis AI seriously outperforms. Compared to previous technology, the designers saw a 30% increase in speech understanding, 10% higher speech intelligibility, and an 84% preference for Genesis AI in the hardest environments of speech in noise.
Category:PersonalYear:2023Designer:Brandon Sawalichand Achin Bhowmik, Starkey Hearing Technologies, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USAManufacturer:Starkey Hearing Technologies, Inc., Eden Prairie, Minnesota, USA